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So assuming that a deal gets done in time, and this is a big assumption, Wednesday looks to be the biggest free agent haul in NFL history. Teams have been unable to make moves for over 5 months. And although the draft preceded free agency, rookies are notoriously unknown quantities. Teams still have a lot of holes to fill. 7 teams will be looking to get under the cap, so look for a lot of veterans to be released into the pool as well. Who do you have targetted for the Pats in free agency?

1. Sidney Rice WR. This guy can be a stud stretch the field, 1000 yard receiver annually for Brady. The Pats WR corp is already very good. But they still lack the consistent field stretcher. So far Brandon Tate has not been the answer here.

2. Ray Edwards DE/OLB. Edwards could help boost an anemic pass rush and is also a solid run defender. The question is how well will he transition to playing 3-4 OLB for us. We got one guy already from the Ravens system who didn't pan out so well in AD. Is the second time a charm or do the Pats brass feel snakebit?

3. Cullen Jenkins DE. Jenkins could solidfy the defensive line. The problem is that for a DE he is slightly short in the Pats system at 6'2 and the Pats might already have Stroud penciled in for a starting position.

4. Eric Weddle S. Weddle can cover over the middle. This has been one of the flaws in the Pats defense. Time and time again they give up the big 3rd down play in the middle because they don't have the athletes to contain against these plays. Of course zones tend to leave predictable spots to attack but lack of talent may play into this. On the other hand Dowling may have been drafted to directly address this need already.

5. Manny Lawson OLB. The Pats passed over Lawson in the draft, but now he has a chance to come on down to New England as a free agent. Can the rangy Lawson make an impact on the Pats defense or would he flounder as many LBers have before to absorb the Pats complex defensive system?

I like Lawson. I know a Niners fan who is big on him, and thinks he wants a change of pace. Figures he might be a good fit for the Pats as someone who can drop in coverage, giving us some versatility at that position.

He's certainly not the prototypical 34 OLB that Belichick likes with his (lack of) size, but Belichick also likes OLBs that contribute in each phase, and he can do that.

I don't think we'll have the cap space to sign anybody else of note. I anticipate that we'll do some restructuring/cutting/extending that will pretty much end up as a wash, then we'll sign rookies, and we'll have a few million left for a couple vets. A guy like Lawson should fit in the budget, though.

For a long while I didn't think we'd go after a WR in free agency, but since so many of our receiving targets are so green and Branch is injury prone, I have to think that BB is heavily considering a guy like Santana Moss. Normally I think we all have the attitude of 'let's give our young guys a chance' with players like Tate and Price, but the circumstances would certainly benefit us if we acquired a veteran.

im hoping for just a signed agreement.. until then.. there is no free angecy till it happens which wont happen till oct...

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Sean me boy, lay off the malt. It depresses the nervous system and leads to doomsday posts about "October". If you're gonna go negative Nancy on us, drink it all, go full tilt full time and wail about an entire season of Brady's dwindling career window being lost.

There is a lot of focus on UFA and rightly so. But, there are going to be a lot of teams that have to move contracts and either release or trade players very quickly. I would not be surprised at all if our most impactful new acquistion comes in the form of a trade. We have a plethora of draft picks and Belichick has been known to make a big trade or two after a disappointing end to a season.